3.11.1 Barricading
SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER
This procedure applies to children placed in foster care and residential care managed by the authority, but the principles apply to the placement of all Children in Care. Therefore, where Children in Care are placed with parents, relatives or friends or in placements not managed by the authority, the social worker must ensure these or other adequate procedures are applied.1. Planning and Prevention
If there is any risk that a child may lock or barricade him/herself in a room so as to prevent access by the carers, a Risk Assessment must be undertaken and a suitable strategy adopted to reduce or prevent it, will be put in writing.
If there are risks relating to an individual child, they should be accounted for in a Behaviour Management Plan.
2. General Principles
If children lock or barricade themselves in a room so as to prevent access by those caring for them, the actions that are necessary will depend on the risks posed.
Low Risk
If the risks are low, which means that there is no perceived risk of Injury, Damage to Property or of any offence being committed, the situation should be monitored and efforts made to obtain the child's co-operation to resolve it satisfactorily.
The Strategies that should be adopted will depend on the age, level of understanding of the child and other circumstances on the day. However, staff/carers should do what they can to maintain a low risk, and not to escalate the situation.
Increased Risk
If there is a risk of Injury, Damage to Property or of an offence being committed, the action taken should depend on the immediacy and seriousness of those risks.
The Strategies that should be adopted will depend on the age, level of understanding of the child and other circumstances on the day. However, staff/carers should monitor the situation, doing what they can to reduce the risks. All decisions and actions taken must be recorded.
Where necessary, the child's social worker should be consulted before actions are taken. However, it is for staff/carers present, to decide what actions are necessary, having considered all the risks and strategies that are available to them.
If at all possible, staff/carers must act so as to reduce or prevent the need to act with force but, if the risks escalate to an extent that Physical Intervention, including forced entry is necessary, the staff/carers may only act in keeping with relevant procedures in this manual.
Please see the following relevant procedures:
3. Notifications
There are different notification procedures depending on whether matters are concluded with or without the co-operation of children.
With Co-operation
If the occurrence is concluded with the co-operation of the child, in that no force has been used, the manager should be notified at the first opportunity; the manager will then decide whether to notify the child's social worker.
Without Co-operation
If staff/carers have to use forced entry or Physical Intervention, or the Police are called for assistance, it is deemed to be an Incident and the on call manager and child's social worker must be notified as soon as possible but within 24 hours.
The child's social worker/on call manager should decide whether to inform the child's parent(s) and, if so, who should do so.
Depending on the seriousness of the Incident, other people/agencies may have to be notified.
4. Recording
There are different recording procedures depending on whether matters are concluded with or without the co-operation of children.
With Co-operation
In these circumstances, the occurrence should be recorded in the child's Daily Record.
Without Co-operation
The use of forced entry is automatically deemed to be an Incident, and must be recorded as such and subject to a Management Review.
Please see Incidents Guidance, for detail of the records that must be completed in the event of an Incident and the conducting of Management Reviews.
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